1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a body tool for use as a hand tool in connection with model cars. The body tool has particular utility in connection with drilling accurate axle holes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As winter loosens its grip, children emerge from homes across the land for a contest: the Pinewood Derby®. For the derby, children and their adult sponsors assemble a wooden model car from a kit and then race their cars against those of fellow children upon a track with guideways for each car. Children that win local races advance to tournaments. In a car race, speed leads to victory and fractions of a second count. Children and sponsors seek to minimize wheel friction and to align wheels precisely at each opportunity. The wooden cars have four wheels. Each plastic wheel has a finished face, a rim, and a centered hub opposite the finished face. The hub fits over an axle hammered into the car. Spinning upon the axle, the wheel runs in the track.
Body tools are desirable for reaming an axle hole in a wooden car body with minimal risk of injury. The body tool works together with a drill bit and a drill. An axle hole becomes straight by a drill bit advanced through the axle hole while guided by the body tool. An axle placed in a straight axle hole parallels the axis of rotation of the wheel allowing the wheel complete contact with the track and not the guideway. Prior art designs straightened axle holes by visual observation and manual methods. Because of manual positioning of the drill bit, children still had imprecise axle holes for their cars and thus, slower cars. In summary, prior art requires a drill and the coordination of an adult while children sat out the fine-tuning of their cars for speed.
The present art overcomes the limitations of the prior art. That is, the art of the present invention allows children to ream straight axle holes. The present art further allows a more precise orientation of a wheel with the track.
The difficulty in straightening axle holes by children with minimal injury is shown by the operation of the typical method. From the factory, axle holes come from saw cuts—kerfs—and the kerf has slight imperfections. Installed in a kerf upon an as delivered car body, an axle will alter the toe and camber of the wheel adversely. The wheel makes incomplete contact with the track and the guideway, increasing friction and reducing the speed of the car. Typically, sponsors straighten axle holes by hand and eye with a power drill. A sponsor would clamp the wooden car and align a drill bit with the axle hole by sight. Then the conventional method requires a sponsor to hold the drill straight as it passes through the kerf. Such a manual method may not accurately straighten the axle hole and may result in injuries to sponsors or children. The present invention overcomes this difficulty.
The use of reaming jigs is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,320 to Weinstein et al. discloses a fixture for drilling pocket holes. However, the Weinstein '320 patent does not drill across the full thickness of a board, and has further drawbacks of asymmetrical shape and lack of alignment markings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,766 to Sommerfeld discloses a holding fixture for drilling pocket joints. However, the Sommerfeld '766 patent does not grasp a board with a U shaped body, and additionally does not drill across the full thickness of a board.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,077 to MacIntosh discloses a lens drill guide that prepares an eyeglass lens to accept a frame. However, the MacIntosh '077 patent does not have alignment markings, and cannot grasp a lens snugly between the legs alone.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,442 to Lindblad discloses a doweling jig that adjusts to fit the thickness of two boards. However, the Lindblad '442 patent does not guide a drill bit across the lateral axis of a board, and cannot have a single jaw embodiment.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,889 to Fallon discloses a jig for locating drilling holes in wood panels. However, the Fallon '889 patent does not grasp a board snugly without a clamp, and cannot drill through the endpiece.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,121 to Proctor discloses a drill guide that centers on boards of varying thickness. However, the Proctor '121 patent does not have a fixed width between clamping plates, and cannot drill through the housings.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,986 to Juang discloses a drill jig for locating holes to be drilled in a workpiece. However, the Juang '986 patent does not have a single piece generally U shaped, and cannot guide a drill bit on the longitudinal axis of the jig. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,498 to Kaufman discloses a drill bit jig that clamps upon a workpiece. However, the Kaufman '498 patent does not drill across the full thickness of a board, and cannot drill between the end plates.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,523 to Schotzko discloses a miter box and frame doweling jig apparatus that drills dowel holes into the ends of boards. However, the Schotzko '523 patent does not drill across the thickness of a board, and has the additional deficiency of a separate clamp.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a body tool that allows drilling accurate axle holes. The Weinstein '320, Sommerfeld '766, Lindblad '442, and Kaufman '498 patents make no provision for drilling across the full thickness of a workpiece. The MacIntosh '077 patent makes no provision for grasping a workpiece snugly. The Fallon '889 and Schotzko '523 patents require a clamp to grasp a workpiece. However, the Proctor '121 patent lacks a fixed width between clamping plates. Then, the Juang '986 patent lacks a U shape.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved body tool that can be used for drilling accurate axle holes. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the body tool according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of drilling accurate axle holes.